History: This region is one of the earliest cultural birthplaces of Yunnan. According to archeological discoveries, there are Neolithic Age sites widely spread around Erhai Lake and several other alpine lakes. Early ancestors of the Bai and Yi ethnic minorities were responsible for the creation of the area's civilization. It was during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) that this prefecture was brought into the sphere of regime in Central China.

Physical Features: Situated at the boundary of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Hengduan Mountains, the terrain in the region drops in elevation as one travels from the northwest and to the southeast. The landform of the city is varied and complicated. With the Cangshan Mountain as a limit, the west consists of high mountains and numerous valleys, while the east is made up of medium mountains and slopes. The Yunling Mountains and Nushan Mountains are the main ranges in the area. In addition, there are more than one hundred and sixty rivers of all sizes beloneng to waterway systems of Jinsha, Lancang, Nujiang and Honghe rivers. There are also eight alpine lakes that resemble pearl inlaid in this land.

Climate: Located in the subtropical plateau climatic zone at low altitudes, the four seasons here are indistinct and the temperature varies slightly during the whole year. The prefecture has clear dry and rainy season. May to October is the rainy season which is responsible for about ninety percent of the whole year's precipitation. The average temperatures of the coldest January and hottest July are respectively 8 and 22 degree centigrade (46.4 and 71.6 Fahrenheit).

When to Go: There's no summer heat and winter chilliness here. Therefore, visitors can make trips to the prefecture at any time of the year. Many festivals and feasts of the Bai ethnic minority are held during March and April. Spring is especially lovely for traveling there.

Local Highlights: Ethnic minorities make up fifty percent of the prefecture's total population. Among these minorities, Bai is the most populous, occupying over sixty-seven of the total 1,676,500 ethnic minority people. Folk celebrations of this region are colorful and interesting. There are some festivals of Bai and other ethnic minorities.

Jizu Mountain Fair: 1st to the 15th day of the first lunar month at Jizu Mountain in Binchuan County March Street Festival: 15th to 21st day of the third lunar month outside the west gate of the Dali Ancient CityRaosanling: 23rd to 25th day of the forth lunar month around Cangshan Mountain and Erhai LakeShuahai Hui: 23rd day of the seventh lunar month in Eryuan CountyShibaoshan Song Fest: 26th day of the seventh lunar month to 1st day of the eighth lunar month at Shibao Mountain in Jianchaun County

Scenic Spots: Dali Prefecture boasts favorable weather, beautiful natural scenery and unsophisticated folkway. The Dali Ancient City, Cangshan Mountain, Erhai Lake, Butterfly Spring and the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are the top scenic spots. Furthermore, there are many other attractions scattered among the elegant mountains and rivers of the prefecture.

Jianchuan Grottoes, also known as Shizhongshan Grottoes and Shibaoshan Grottoes, is located in the Shizhong Mountain, a peak in southern Shibao Mountain in Jianchuan County. It has 139 Buddha sculptures in 17 grottoes distributed throughout three districts in Shizhong Temple, Shizi Guan (Lion Pass) and Shadeng Village. The earliest grottoes were excavated more than 1,100 years ago.

Weibao Mountain lies 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Weishan county seat, being a key point of interest here. It was listed among national forest parks in 1992. Weibao Mountain is said to be the birthplace of the Nanzhao State (738-937) during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and one of the fourteen famous Taoist sites in China.

Jizu Mountain is a noted Buddhist resort not less famous than the four Buddhist holy mountains (Mt. Jiuhua in Anhui, Mt. Emei in Sichuan, Mt. Putuo in Zhejiang and Mt. Wutai in Shanxi).

Travel Tips:Dali Prefecture is the transport hub in western Yunnan. It is the joint of Yunnan-Burma Highway, Yunnan-Tibet Highway and Guangtong-Dali Railway. In addition, it has an airport located between Fengyi Town and Haidong Town, operating flights to Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Guangzhou. Dali City is the communication center of the prefecture. For more information about passenger transportation, please refer to Dali Transportation.

Traveling here, people wear spring attire since early March, summer attire since early May, and autumn attire during mid-October to mid-November. If coming here after mid-November, a winter coat at least should be prepared for use when needed. To resist the strong ultraviolet rays in sunny days, a sun hat and a sunglass are necessaries while outing.